British inflation returned to positive territory for the first time in four months in November, but remained close to zero as it has for most of this year, official figures showed today.
The Office for National Statistics said annual consumer price inflation rose 0.1% last month from October's reading of -0.1%.
This was in line with economists' expectations in a Reuters poll and was achieved despite an unexpected fall in clothes prices.
UK inflation has stuck in a narrow range between + and -0.1% since February, largely due to a slump in oil prices late last year, and is far below the Bank of England's 2% target.
But strong growth in Britain's economy means the Bank of England policymakers have been less worried about persistent deflation than some of their euro zone colleagues were earlier this year, though they are still some way from raising interest rates.
Last month the bank forecast inflation would stay below 1% for the first half of next year, and since then oil prices have fallen further to near their lowest since 2008.
Not all the shortfall in inflation is due to low oil prices, however, and yesterday Bank of England Deputy Governor Minouche Shafik said wages would need to rise further before she felt ready to lift interest rates from their record low.
The ONS said today that lower energy prices were less of a drag on inflation in November than in previous months.
But clothing prices were the biggest drag on inflation after they recorded an unprecedented monthly fall between October and November, usually a period of higher prices as consumers shop before Christmas.
The ONS said that it recorded prices before so-called 'Black Friday' discounts took effect.
Core CPI - which strips out moves in the price of energy, food, alcohol and tobacco - rose to 1.2% from 1.1% in October. Like for headline CPI, this was the strongest rise since July and in line with economists' forecasts.
Factory gate prices fell a shade more than expected, dropping by 1.5% after a 1.4% fall in October.
The ONS also released figures for house price inflation in October, which showed the fastest price growth since March, with a 7% annual rise across the UK as a whole compared with 6.1% in September.
